Fiola’s White Chocolate Panettone Bread Pudding

Recipe from Corporate Pastry Chef Brandon Malzahn

This complex dessert is a showstopper for any holiday table but has a special place after Fiola’s Feast of the Seven Fishes. Producing this beauty make take some time, but all the elements may be made in advance and the cakes may be assembled and frozen up to two weeks ahead of your event. 

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Makes 6 cakes, each cake serves 2 to 4 people  

Special Equipment: six 2-inch metal ring molds 

•  Pannetone, preferably dried out or stale 
• Vanilla Sauce  
• White Chocolate Pudding Cream 
• Grand Marnier Syrup 
• Chocolate Glaze 
• Optional - Whole hazelnuts toasted, skinned and dipped in spun sugar, strips of candied orange peel 

 If the Pannetone is fresh, toast it until dry. Slice the pannetone ¼-inch thick and, using a 2-inch ring mold as a guide (and cutter), stamp out 12 rounds of equal size. 

Vanilla Sauce  

• 2-1/4 cups heavy cream 
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar 
• 1 vanilla bean 
• 6 large egg yolks 

Heat cream, sugar, and vanilla bean until small bubbles form along the edge of the pan. 

Temper the egg yolks by adding just 1/2 cup of the warm cream to the yolks, and mix together. Whisk for about 2 minutes and return the mixture to the pot and, stirring with a silicone spatula, continue to cook on medium heat until thick enough to coat the back of the spatula. Remove from heat, and strain through a fine mesh strainer and set the bowl over another bowl filled with ice water to quickly cool   

White Chocolate Pudding Cream

• 1-1/2 Cups Vanilla Sauce 
• 1 packet powdered gelatin  
• 8 ounces white chocolate, preferably Valrhona Ivory" 
• 2 cups heavy cream  

Bloom the gelatin in ½ cup ice cold water for 5 minutes Whip the heavy cream with a hand or stand mixer until it forms soft peaks. 

Heat the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl stirring every 30 seconds until melted 

Heat the Vanilla Sauce and gelatin in a small saucepan or a microwave, about one minute, until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Add the white chocolate to the warm vanilla sauce mixture and stir thoroughly. Cool for 10 minutes then gently fold in the lightly whipped cream in 3 additions. 

Grand Marnier Syrup 

• 1 cup water 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• Zest of one orange 
• 1/4 teaspoons rose water 
• 5 tablespoons Grand Marnier 

 Boil the water, sugar and zest together. Remove from the heat and add the rose water and the Grand Marnier. Strain the mixture. 

 Chocolate Ganache  

• 1 cup heavy cream  
• 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped, prefarably Valrhona Ivory 

Heat the cream until small bubbles appear at the edges. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk the chocolate and cream to make a smooth satiny glaze. Pour over the cakes while still lukewarm. 

Assemble the Cake  

Line 2-inch metal rings with a crown of parchment paper, at least 2-inches above the rim of the ring  

Soak the circles of panettone in the Grand Marnier syrup and place in the bottom of each ring mold. Pipe or spoon the pudding cream on top of the cake half way up the ring. Cover with another circle of soaked panettone. 

Top the panettone with more pudding cream and level the top with an offset spatula Freeze the cakes overnight. 

Remove the rings from the cake, and peel off the parchment. Place cake on a rack over a baking sheet. Warm the glaze mixture in the microwave until runny and no more than lukewarm. Spoon the glaze over the cakes until competed coated. Place the cakes in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to dry the glaze. 

 Before serving, remove the cakes from the refrigerator and decorate with dried orange and candied hazelnuts, if desired. 

Back to the full story, Fresh Take on Fish Feast 

Grilled Cinnamon-Sugar Apples Topped with Bourbon Whipped Cream

By Jennifer Farley

While this dessert comes together quickly, serving requires a bit of patience because the whipped cream will quickly melt if you top the apples while they’re too hot (not the worst thing, but still). Use crisp apples with a sweet and tart flavor balance, such as Honeycrisp or Cortlands. Granny Smith apples will also work and pack more of a tart flavor punch, so you might want to amp up the sugar in the whipped cream for balance. I like to use clarified butter or ghee on the apples before grilling because it adds a wonderful, buttery richness, but any neutral, high-heat oil will work. And, if you don’t have access to a grill, try roasting the apples at high temperature to get carmelization. 

Prep Time: 20 minutes   

Cook Time: 5 minutes   

Total Time: 25 minutes   

Yield: 4–8 servings

• Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 4 apples  
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter, softened (a neutral-flavored oil such as grapeseed may be substituted) 
• 1 cup cold heavy cream 
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

Directions:

Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (approximately 500° F).  

In a small bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.  

Slice the apples in half from root to stem, and use a melon baller or small spoon to core the center and remove any seeds. Brush clarified butter liberally onto the flat sides of each apple. Carefully place the apples on the grill, flat side down. Close the lid and grill for approximately 4–5 minutes, until nicely charred and soft. Remove and sprinkle the grilled sides liberally with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Allow to cool until they’re warm or room temperature. Placing the apples in the refrigerator will speed up this process. 

While the apples are cooling, prepare the whipped cream. In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, remaining tablespoon of sugar and bourbon, until they reach a stiff peak. To serve, top each apple with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

The Gourmet Kitchen will be released by Simon & Schuster on October 25, 2016. The book is a compilation of over 100 recipes covering breakfast through dessert, showcasing Jennifer Farley’s favorites. Some have been in her family for generations, like her grandmother’s crab cakes. Farley finds inspiration everywhere, from culinary school to her travels around the world. Most of the recipes evolved through experimenting with the techniques she learned while training at L’Academie de Cuisine. The recipes are geared toward casual dinner parties, a leisurely weekend meal or a romantic dinner for two. They are everyday gourmet recipes for the home cook.  

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Cinnamon Vanilla Cream

by Raisa Aziz, special to EdibleDC

With the holidays around the corner and the market filled with all manner of gourds, it’s time to pull out those pie pans and fill the house with the sweet, warming scents of the season. We’ve partnered with Whisked! to share a pumpkin pie recipe exclusive to Edible DC so you can put those market finds to good use.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie with Cinnamon Vanilla Cream

Jenna Huntsberger, originally from Oregon, has always had a passion for baking. She started Whisked! in 2011, making old-fashioned American favorites, filling every cookie and pie with real ingredients and baked with the same love and attention you would give to home-baked treats. Although the company has grown considerably since 2011, the menu still changes seasonally and every pie and cookie is baked by hand. She shares a recipe for a pumpkin chiffon pie with cinnamon vanilla cream below, using either market pumpkins or offering a canned substitution. And if you’re in the mood for pie but not the baking, head over to the Whisked! website to order your Thanksgiving favorites by November 16th (available for pickup in DC and for delivery to other states)!

For the Crust:

• 2 cups (9 oz) gingersnap crumbs
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine gingersnap crumbs with light brown sugar, and salt. Gradually pour in the melted butter until the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Press evenly into a 9 inch pie pan.

Place pie shell on a sheet pan and bake for 7 minutes, until crust is lightly toasted. Set aside.

For the Pumpkin Chiffon Filling

• 1 5 lb pie pumpkin (or, 1 ½ cups or 13 oz of pumpkin puree, if you want to skip the fresh pumpkin)
• 4 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• ½ (3.5 oz) + ¼ cup (1.75 oz) sugar, divided
• 1 tbs cornstarch (.25 oz)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• ¼ tsp cloves
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ½ cup heavy cream

Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees.

To prep the pumpkin, cut the stem off the top of pumpkin, place the pumpkin stem side down on a cutting board, and cut in half. Clean the seeds out of the middle of the pumpkin. Cover a baking sheet with foil and rub lightly with vegetable or another neutral oil. Place pumpkin halves, cut side down, on the baking sheet and roast until soft when pierced with a knife - 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Pull skin off of the pumpkin halves, cut off any burnt or overly brown bits, and puree in a food processor until smooth.

Set aside 1 1/2 cups of puree - about 13 ounces, for the pie filling.

Lower oven temperature to 325.

Combine pumpkin puree with egg yolks, ½ cup of the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, kosher salt, and heavy cream.

Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add a sprinkle of the remaining ¼ cup of bsugar and beat until glossy. Continue to beat the egg whites, gradually adding the sugar a sprinkle at a time, until medium peaks form.

Using a whisk, fold ⅓ of the egg whites into the pumpkin filling to lighten it. Then pour the mixture into the egg whites and fold until just combined.

Pour the filling into pie shell and bake until the filling is set - 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If crust browns too much on the edge, cover loosely with strips of foil. Let cool completely before serving.

For The Cinnamon Vanilla Pouring Cream

• 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
• ¼ tsp salt
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 1 vanilla bean, split down the middle to expose the seeds
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tbs (2.6 oz) sugar
• 4 egg yolks

In a medium saucepan, combine cream, salt, cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean. Bring cream to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 1 hour. Remove cinnamon sticks and vanilla bean.

Reheat the cream until boiling. In a separate bowl, beat sugar with egg yolks until glossy. Pour ¼ of the hot cream into the egg yolks and rapidly combine with a whisk. Pour the tempered egg yolks back into the cream and heat over medium heat, stirring gently, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Strain into a bowl and chill.

Serve pie with chilled cream.